X, formerly Twitter, is changing the way the block button works

On By Vaseline

Elon Musk has long spoken about his distaste for social media blocking features, and now X (formerly Twitter) is showing signs of implementing his vision. In a move that’s sure to spark some debate, X is changing the way blocks function, starting with the visibility of answers in the context of a block. While this isn’t a total removal, which is certainly Musk’s preference, it is a clear shift in the platform’s approach. A message from X’s engineering team confirms this, citing a desire to align the feature with X’s view of itself as a “public town square”. This echoes Musk’s previous comments blasting blocks as illogical in a public forum, as he once famously said “block will be removed as a ‘feature’ except for DMs.”

So what has changed? Previously, if someone blocked you, you could still reply to their messages, but they wouldn’t see it. Now you can view instant replies from those who blocked you. This potentially reduces the power of the blocking tool as a way to protect themselves from online negativity. X insists its purpose is to align user control with public visibility of posts, and I’m sure the response will be mixed, with some welcoming the added transparency. and others see it as a violation of an essential safety measure.

This new rule is the latest in Musk’s overhaul of X. His controversial decisions have ranged from mass layoffs to policy reversals to the reinstatement of previously banned figures. To some, it certainly seems like this is just the first step in making the block button disappear completely, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens next and whether this latest change will cause enough controversy to warrant a reversal.